"Smokescreen" ~ Post TPM fic

Hey everyone! (or at least everyone who still remembers me) Sorry I've been away for so long, but Darth Real Life has been a Sith for a while. Not to mention that I've been tied up reading Alli-Wan's and Amidolee's stories. So here it is, after long last, a new story! Hopefully I'll be able to keep up with a post every two days. Let me know how you like it! It takes place about a year or two after TPM.

 

SMOKESCREEN


Sandy-blond hair. Kept short and out of his face.

Blue eyes. So blue, they nearly leapt off the photograph.

Medium build. Lean, but athletic.

Keen features. Strong jawline.

A cold smile graced her lips. No, this man would not be difficult to track down.

The man behind the desk seemed to read her thoughts. ?I should warn you. He is quite elusive.? The eyes shrouded in shadow hardened, dropping the temperature in the dark room ten more degrees. ?I do not need to remind you how important this mission is. If he is not eliminated now, it could pose severe problems to many. To you, in particular.?

Playfully, the woman ran her thumb over the face in the photograph. ?He will be no problem.?

Yet the man behind the desk only seemed to darken further. ?Make sure that he isn?t. You have one week.?

The smile disappeared to an icy professionalism. ?Consider it done.? Turning from the man, the woman glanced again at the picture. Such a handsome man, she thought.

A shame he had to die.

******
*~* ? Since you?ve gone I?ve been lost without a trace
*~* I dream at night I can only see your face
*~* I look around but its you I can?t replace
*~* I feel so cold and I long for your embrace ? *~*
?I?ll Be Watching You? ~ Sting & Police


Aboard the freighter in the guest room, Obi-Wan Kenobi continued to pace the worn floor, his eyes flickering from the clock to the locked door that sealed off the room adjoining his. It had been nearly nine hours, and still his Padawan had not left his room.
Even when the crew had prepared dinner, Anakin did not appear. A light scan of the Force told the Jedi Master that his student was still in the room and physically well. But beyond that, Obi-Wan could not tell. His student?s mental shields were slammed tight.

For the past hour, the Jedi Master had been listening closely, trying to hear for any sounds of his Padawan. The boy?s eyes had been so wide and so close to tears when he had yelled at him.

(?Damnit, Anakin!!! HE?S DEAD!! Why won?t you let it be?!??)

Had he really meant to yell quite so loudly? The words even sounded sharp and cruelly harsh in his own memory.

(?I?ve had enough of this sick fascination!! Force, do you enjoy torturing me?!?)

And yet, while he had lost his own control, Anakin had not lost his. The boy didn?t move, didn?t cry, didn?t speak, didn?t even breathe as Obi-Wan let loose on him. At twelve years of age, with barely two years of Jedi training under his belt, the boy had shown remarkable control beyond his years. Or maybe he had scared his student so much that Anakin couldn?t have responded even if he wanted to?

(?He?s DEAD!! Don?t you get it?!??)

In that moment, Obi-Wan had lost touch with reality.

(?He?s GONE!!?)

He barely knew what he was saying.

(?He?s NOT coming back!!?)

He only knew what he felt.

(?He?s NEVER coming back!!?)

Two years worth of pain. Of exasperation. Of jealousy. Of constantly being reminded of the one he cherished most.

(?Don?t you UNDERSTAND that?!??)

The one he failed.

(?For the last time, Anakin, leave it alone! Leave ME alone!!?)

And that was that. Without so much as a sound in response, Anakin turned and hurried into his own room and shut the door. That was nine hours ago. In that time, the rage had boiled down, but it had taken its time to do so. Much too long by Jedi standards. Even Padawans could temper anger once it had been felt.

Obi-Wan bit back a wave of shame. A Jedi would never have let it escalate like that to begin with. But then again, it had been a while since he had last felt like a Jedi.

Force, he was exhausted.

For nearly two years straight, Obi-Wan had been constantly on the move, conquering one responsibility after another. Missions were back-to-back. And then there was Anakin?s training on top of that. Not that the constant working didn?t reap its own benefits. Their successful reputation preceded them wh

 

Fabulous beginning!!! I can hardly wait for more, this is really gonna be cool!

I remember ya!!

Welcome back, you've been missed!!

 

WOOHOO!!! She's back with a bang! This looks great! It's really good to have you back, Lwyn'nya! I look forward to more!

 

*Screams like she just saw Ewan McGregor* Lwyn'nya's back! AHHHHH! YEah! AWESOME STORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

WOW



Great post, Lwyn'nya!!

 

Oh this is good...

Glad to see you back and writing the kind of gripping narrative that made me a fan oh so many many months ago, Lwyn'nya!

 

Lwyn'nya???? Oh my goodness! It has been a long time!

So great to have you back and writing a story, too!

Great start, btw. I can't wait to see this story expand- you always have been terrific writter.

 

**Awww, I missed you guys too! Sorry, I've been in lurker mode for a long time. I've been addicted to Amidolee's "Consequences of Love" and Alli-Wan's "Appearances" and "Jedi Dreams" (which I'm praying will be added to soon!!) Here's some more for ya! I'll be able to post more tomorrow!

Here's some music for ya to read to:
"Every Rose Has It's Thorn" ~ Poison

Cheesy, I know, but it's so hard to find these kinds of files on the web. I have to update my catalogue.**

*******

*~*I?ve been trying to get down
To the heart of the matter
But everything changes
And my friends seem to scatter but I think it?s about
Forgiveness, forgiveness
Even if you don?t love me anymore*~*
?Heart of the Matter? ~ Don Henly

The Council door slammed even louder than it had when Adi Gallia had stormed through it. The windows behind the Jedi Masters rattled with the force. A slow moment paused before Mace turned to face Yoda, releasing a pent-up breath.

?That could not have gone worse.?

The wizened green Jedi Master nodded slowly as he gazed at the other Councilmembers. The looks on their faces expressed the same as Mace Windu. They had expected this outcome, to be sure. But it didn?t make seeing it come to pass any easier to watch.

Ki-Adi Mundi turned to face Yoda. ?Was that truly the wisest decision to make? I fear we?ve only added to this rift that young Kenobi has built between himself and the Jedi Order.?

Plo Koon gave something of a low growl. ?This is a waste of time. Kenobi should not be out on a mission given his last performance. He is too hung up in his own inner war to be of any good on a mission. This will lead to mistakes in the mission and I fear that Wyren Feld will be the one to pay for Kenobi?s errors.?

?I agree,? Yarel Poof spoke up, ?Although for different reasons. If we send Kenobi out on a mission when he has not resolved his own problems, if something goes wrong with this mission he could take that very personally. We could lose a rather effective field operative.?

?After Adi Gallia?s words,? Yaddle spoke, ?walk out sooner than that, I fear he might.?

?This is ridiculous!? Plo Koon snapped, shifting in his chair in annoyance. ?He is of no use to us as long as he carries his Master?s ghost with him! I do not understand why he does not put the past to rest and carry on with his life!?

Ki-Adi Mundi laid a hand on the Jedi Master?s arm. ?It is not Qui-Gon Jinn?s ghost that haunts him. I fear that it is his own guilt.? Ki-Adi gave the Councilmember a small smile. ?Qui-Gon Jinn was a longtime friend to you. Surely you mourned his loss.?

?Of course I did. I am not heartless.?

?I am not saying that you are,? Ki-Adi explained. ?But Obi-Wan Kenobi is not a Dorinian as you are. His head may be full of logic but his heart is full of loss. Telling him to simply let it go would be as effective as telling his young Padawan to simply let go of his anger. It is something that they must learn to do on their own.?

Yoda leaned forward on his gimmer stick. ?A test this will be.?

?With Wyren Feld?s life being the penalty of failure,? Plo Koon grumbled.

The wisened Jedi Master nodded grimly. ?Not to mention a valued young Knight of our Order.?

Plo Koon raised what should have been an eyebrow. However, his Dorinian genetic makeup didn?t leave for any facial hair. So the ridge above his left shielded eye raised at an angle. ?So foreboding, Master Yoda. You speak as if the future somehow rests on him.?

The small hand gripping the gimmer stick tightened till it was white knuckled. ?More than you could know.?

*******

*~*And however hard I want
I know deep down inside
I?ll never really get
More hope
Or any more time . . . *~*
?Want? ~ Cure

Anakin kept Depa Billaba?s pace as the two strolled through the Room of a Thousand Pools. Midday had just past and the sky darkened enough to send a orange haze over the area, reflecting beautifully in the glimmering pools. One

 

Unbelievable. Incredible posting there. I am SO hooked....

 

Wow- this is... really good! Nice start.

 

Wow. I'm floored. This is one of the best Obi/Ani fics I've ever seen...

Wow.

 

Wow.

 

Whoa...

Welcome back indeed Lwyn'nya! Awww...I like the caring, protective relationship between Master and Padawan here. The Council is just determined to send Ani running to the darkside, aren't they? [face_anger]

Looking forward to more!


aa

 

And to add to that- they are long posts!

 

Oh, Lywn!!!

Hold on, I must scream happily right now. Okay. I'm so happy that you're back and writing again!!! Oh, I've missed your exquisite writing so much!! I wish your great Qui and Obi story arc could have continued It was beautiful.

 

You you you WOW p-p-post m-m-m-more please

that was great

 

Welcome back, Lwyn! You've made an excellent start here, I'm looking forward to more. I had to giggle at Anakin's pranks, especially putting a big pink bow in Obi-Wan's hair! I like your take on the relationship between Obi-Wan and Anakin, thrown together through a common loss and then developing to older brother younger brother. You've really made Depa Billaba come alive, too. Now I want to see what this mission is really about, and how they both cope with the separation.

 

Amidolee - *hugs* Hi! Oh don't worry, I haven't given up on Qui and Obi. If you remember, I have two more stories in the works that I need to dust back to life. "Carrion RX" and one other. Carrion RX is a merging of Star Wards Jedi Power Battles and Resident Evil and the other one tells the story of Obi-Wan's wedding . . . at age fourteen. (Yes, when girls still had cooties) Hopefully, I should be able to post tomorrow. This one came into thought around the same time as "Carrion RX", but it only recently fleshed itself out.

Wow, I missed writing.

By the way, excellent job on 'Consequences of Love'!! Watching Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon together in the hospital . . . brought tears to my eyes.

Hey everyone! To tide some of you over who haven't read my stories yet, here's some links to my previous stories . . .

"Recreating A Jedi" (JA)

"The Face of the Enemy" ~ Jedi Apprentice sequel

"Two Jedi Walk Into A Bar (A JA Quickie)

"All That Glitters" ~ (JA)

I have another one called "Dark Side of Truth" but I can't seem to find the link to that one anymore Let me know what ya think!

 

Wow Lwyn'nya! When you come back, you come back with a bang! Only two post so far and you've already got me crying!

You have been sorely missed! Welcome back!

 

Whooohooo! Some of those I haven't read yet

 

UP! I haven't read any of those yet! So many stories, so little time! UP!

 

Welcome back Lwyn'nya, you have been missed!!!

I feel like doing the happy dance

When you return you really return, those are some long posts, I haven't even read them yet, I just wanted to welcome you back first.

I also look forward to the others stories you are writing. I read all your other stories and they are in a word FABULOUS!!!!

Hope you don't go AWOL on us again

 

**********

*~*?Everybody knows that the dice are loaded
Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed
Everybody knows the war is over
Everybody knows the good guys lost . . .? *~*
?Everybody Knows? ~ Don Henley

It was a feat of willpower that kept Obi-Wan from pacing the small conference room. The small explosion with the Council aside, his lack of sleep and inattention to his own health was doing significant damage to his patience. For so long, silence had always provided him with what he needed to calm his heart and clear his mind. Now, it was only making the voices in his head louder.

(?What do you mean Anakin will not be accompanying me???)

(?We have the right to step in when we feel that the situation is becoming detrimental to either or both of you, Knight Kenobi.?)

(?And separating Anakin from me is your best idea for fixing the problem???)

It seemed like someone else was saying those words. It had been a long time since he had been so angry as to snap to the Masters.

(?You?ve been unable to fix the problem, Knight Kenobi.?)

(?I have not asked you to fix it for me.?)

He winced at his own words. Force, it didn?t even sound like him. Although it was a question that had been spinning in his head for a while now. Who was he anymore? Was this simply a troubled time, or an evolution into something worse?

(?I must insist you mind your tone, Knight Kenobi. Remember who you are speaking to.?)

(?I know who I am speaking to. Thus I have to insist that you mind your own business. Anakin is my Padawan. Qui-Gon entrusted him to me. I will not fail in that promise. Nor will I let you take him from me.?)

Such deadly promise in his tone. Had he realized at the time that he had just declared war on the Council?

(?We had considered only keeping this temporary. However, I fear this may become permanent if this is how your performance will be.?)

There was something to be said for how the Council never sugar-coated anything. Had he realized what a powerful enemy he was making in the Council?

(?And what of Anakin? You seem so motivated to look out for his ?best interest?. When you take him from me, who will train him? Will you punish that boy for my mistake??)

Anakin. Obi-Wan felt a block of ice lodge in the pit of his stomach. Did Anakin realize that their meeting at the Room of a Thousand Pools might just be the last? Suddenly, guilt washed in like a tidal wave over the pain. Force, it could have only been temporary. But now that he had completely lost his temper with the Council, the separation would be permanent of his own doing. The failure would be his.

How could he tell this to Anakin? What would he say when the young boy would come to him and ask him why he wasn?t coming home?

(?Fine! I will complete this mission, but this may very well be the last.?)

(?Irrational, you are being! Think before you make such threats, you should.?)

(?If you truly wish to take Anakin from me, then there is no point in my being here. I suggest you think about that before you make such threats, my Masters.?)

And then he left the room in a blaze of fury, hearing the door slam behind . . .

The sound of the door opening in reality snapped the young Knight out of his memory and back into the present.

?Greetings!? a powerful voice called to him as Obi-Wan turned to face the speaker of the voice. ?I hope I haven?t kept you long.?

It was only due to his extensive Jedi training that the young Knight?s jaw didn?t drop with surprise. Staring at this man was like staring into a mirror. Sandy-blond hair. Kept short and out of his face. Striking blue eyes. So blue they were almost predatory. Medium build. Keen features. Strong jawline. Looking at this man, Obi-Wan could picture himself as a grueling businessman.

The man didn?t startle like Obi-Wan had. Instead, he looked over the young Knight with a smirk. ?You must be the Jedi that the Council sent.? He extended his hand in greet

 

LoL "he asked if I thought he was Fat" are you trying to call my boy fat??? you better not be. "I'm not fat I'm big boned"